DIFFERENT INTERESTS, ONE SHARED DREAM: TWINS AND SIBLINGS BEGIN THEIR ENGINEERING JOURNEY AT KKTSS USM

NIBONG TEBAL, 19 September 2026 - The new student registration at the Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Engineering Campus (KKTSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), here today was enlivened by the presence of two pairs of siblings who have chosen to pursue engineering studies based on their respective interests and aspirations.

Adding to the occasion were 19-year-old twins, Laaranya a/p Senthil Kumar and Laxsaya a/p Senthil Kumar, who have chosen different branches of engineering after sharing the same educational journey since kindergarten.

Laaranya enrolled in Chemical Engineering, driven by her keen interest in chemistry, while Laxsaya chose Aerospace Engineering due to her interest in Physics, which she described as logical and practical.

Laxsaya is also fascinated by the fields of space exploration and aviation, further motivating her to pursue Aerospace Engineering at university.

Although they will be pursuing different programmes, the twins will continue to share the same campus after having been together throughout their kindergarten, primary and secondary education.

Their father, Senthil Kumar a/l Kaipuram, 51, said he fully supported his daughters’ decisions and had always hoped that they would pursue their studies at a campus located not far from home.

During the registration session, the twins also had the opportunity to meet and receive a warm welcome from the Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering, Professor Ir. Dr. Zainal Ahmad, and the Dean of the School of Aerospace Engineering, Associate Professor Dr. Elmi Abu Bakar, who congratulated them and welcomed them to their respective schools.

Meanwhile, the new student registration also saw siblings Sugganya a/p Munisparan, 21, and her younger brother, Vimeleswaren a/l Munisparan, 19, registering at the campus on the same day.

Sugganya, the eldest of three siblings, previously completed her diploma studies at a polytechnic in Johor before choosing to pursue Mineral Resources Engineering at USM.

She said her interest in engineering was sparked through reading and her growing interest in the field, as well as her desire to challenge herself by venturing into a technical discipline.

Her younger brother, Vimeleswaren, recently completed his matriculation studies before choosing Mechatronics Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) as his field of study at USM.

Having previously pursued their studies in different places, with Sugganya in Johor and Vimeleswaren at a matriculation college, their enrolment at USM marks the first opportunity for the siblings to study on the same campus.

They are among 900 new students expected to register at KKTSS for the 2026/2027 Academic Session, excluding international students and students from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (SEEE), which is based at USM’s Main Campus.

Text: Siti Faizah Abd Halim/Photos: Muhammad Taufik Abdul Rahman